You are here

Wright County Collision: Taking the hassle out of those unfortunate incidents

With more than 35 years of experience in the auto body industry, Wright County Collision in Buffalo can help you with all your collision and restoration needs, whether it’s custom chrome for a classic model or dent repair for the family work horse. Their technicians, certified by the Inter-industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair and the Automotive Service Association, take pride in providing high-quality work and top-notch customer service, all at an affordable price. And all of their work comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Owner Neil Bateman has been at the company’s helm for about six years now, since taking over from previous owner and employer, Greg Baer, who had run the shop for 25 years.
“My experience in the body industry goes way, way back – by accident, literally,” Bateman said. “I had just gotten my license, and I crashed my parents’ car. My dad said, ‘This car is yours now. I’m going to take your savings and use it to replace my car.’ And that’s how I got my start in the auto body business. I put that car back together, and here I am today.”
His older brother was always working on cars, Bateman said, and it left a lasting impression.

“I remember sanding the fender of a 1935 Ford with my oldest brother when I was only 5 years old,” he said. “Old cars are my passion. And I take that passion and put it into everyday cars, too.”

A member of the Minnesota Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, Wright County Collision offers auto body, glass and paintless dent repair, as well as restoration of classic vehicles.

“It’s the fun side of the industry,” Bateman said. “We do all the classics, from restoration to custom work. There’s always a project in motion, usually two or three we’re working on, along with collision work. Probably 35 percent of what we do is just restoration.”

He is assisted in this endeavor by four intrepid employees that he describes as “a very talented group of people.”

“Two are recent vocational tech school grads,” Bateman said, “and I’m giving them their opportunity to widen their horizons and work on older vehicles, too.”

And the business is also very much a family affair. Bateman’s wife, Karen, does the company’s bookwork. His son, Adam, works for Wizards Products, an automotive cleaning and detailing retailer in Hanover. Daughter, Ashley , does her own vehicle maintenance and shares the family’s enjoyment of classic vehicles, too.

Wright County Collision is also a regular sponsor for numerous classic car shows around the area.

“We’re here to take care of our customers’ needs, from small repairs to major collision repairs and anything in-between,” Bateman said. “We put a lifetime warranty on our work, and we work with all insurance companies. We’re here to take the hassle out of your unfortunate incident.”

Wright County Collision is located at 412 Seventh St. NE in Buffalo. For more information, visit www.wrightcountycollision.com or call 763-682-3828.